May 25, 2012

Simple Living Check Up

A tiny home in the woods is a
good way to live simply,
but it's not the only way

There are as many ways of doing simple living as there are people. If that is the case, can we ever really tell if we are doing it effectively?

Regardless of how you are achieving your small-footprint, more sustainable lifestyle, there are a few guidelines that may keep you on track.

Most importantly, your efforts should be voluntary. As a reader pointed out in a comment yesterday, it doesn't work if you feel like you are being bullied or shamed into your lower-impact life.

The Anti-Hoarder said, "I once had a friend who thought she could convince me to be vegan by
telling me that I was "stupid" not to go veg. Well, she's not my friend
anymore, and she didn't convince me of the virtues of the vegan life.My
sister in law has taken a much gentler approach and is having more luck
pulling me over to her way of seeing things."

Lasting personal changes have to come from a deep desire within rather than from threats from outside forces.

Luckily, there are more carrots than sticks when it comes to living more gently. If your efforts to simplify are paying off you should notice some (or all) of the following:

you are spending less

you have more time to do things you want to do

you experience spontaneous moments of creativity

you are feeling healthier in mind and body

your cognitive dissonance, or conflicted thinking about the environment, is dissipating

I never try to pressure anyone, a life is a very personal journey. At the same time this frustrates me sometimes as it seems EVERYONE in my real life pressures me to conform back to the typical way of American thought of what is the right way to live. ( If there really is such a thing no?)

Usually I take it with a grain of salt but when it feels all those I love are against me and make me feel I am always doing things wrong it can be discouraging.

I have learned those those that seem to judge the harshest are the least happiest within their own lives and this helps me get through the discouraging times and while our lives may not be right for them, it most certainly is for us!

This is a great checklist to keep in mind......going to print it to keep it on my fridge now!

I am new to the minimalist way of thinking and voluntary simplicity. Earlier this year, my husband and I realized we were exhausted from all of our commitments and from all of our stuff. So, we sat down and prioritized. We dropped out of stuff (even though we have always taught our children to finish what they start) to save our sanity.

Then we decided to purge. Right after that, I injured myself, have been basically on bed rest for months, am days away from spinal fusion surgery (I can't sit, bend or lift anything), and we're working through that challenge. But I refused to be thwarted by my injury. I called in some help and we are in purge mode. The charity's trucks arrive next week to haul away all of our junk, all of our excess, so I can heal from surgery free from the weight and stress of the clutter.

I know this is the right thing for us and for our family. We've only just begun our journey, but it feels really good so far. We are dreaming of what we want our lives to look like and we are dreaming BIG.

I can't wait to see where we are a year from now. It's gonna be awesome.

Yes, I thought that was an interesting comment as well. Although the design is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, it's not practical at that price, especially without plumbing. And as someone wrote, if it fits in a tractor trailer, why not just fix up the inside of a tractor trailer? It's a bigger space. I think the smallest space I could mentally handle living in would be maybe the size of a hotel room. I have issues. :)

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Living the simple life in the woods near the Atlantic Ocean.
I am passionate about life long learning, the environment, and practicing simple living, in order to help heal the planet and manifest a more equitable world.

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